This invention relates to head support structure for use in a tape recording and/or playback apparatus and, more particularly, to such a structure wherein a record and/or playback head is pivoted into and out of contact with the tape through an arc which lies in a direction normal to tape movement.
In general, in tape recording and/or playback devices of the type which operates upon tape stored in a housing, or cartridge, various components of the device are inserted into the housing to operatively contact the tape therein. For this purpose, the tape housing is provided with suitable openings through which the components, such as a record and/or playback head and an erase head, are inserted. In some tapes cartridges, such as in the so-called tape cassette, a pressure roller also is inserted through an opening to cooperate with a capstan for driving the tape. Typically, in certain operations, such as fast-forward and rewind operations, the record and/or playback head and the pressure roller are moved away from the tape, and even withdrawn from the cassette. Also, when the cassette is inserted into or removed from the record and/or playback device, these components should be particularly positioned so as not to interfere with the cassette.
In many recording and/or playback devices now available, the foregoing requirements on the operating components such as the record and/or playback head, the erase head and the pressure roller, are satisfied by mounting these components on a slidable support. Unfortunately, it has been found that such typical slidable supports are of rather complex structure and, moreover, demand significant space requirements in the overall device for accommodating the total forward and backward longitudinal movement of the mounted components. Also, in some devices, individually actuable supports are provided for the record and/or playback head and the pressure roller. This adds to the bulk and cost of the device.
In other recording and/or playback devices now available, the various operative components are mounted on a support which is pivoted into and out of the cassette along an arc parallel to the direction of tape movement. This support requires that the pivot point be laterally spaced to the side of the cassette and suffers from the undesirable aspect of excessive space requirements in order to provide the necessary pivot radius for each component. Furthermore, this type of mechanism often demands a smaller range of mechanical tolerances for the components. Additionally, some of these support mechanisms, as well as some of the slidable support mechanisms, encounter difficulty in accurately positioning the heads in proper alignment with the recording tape.
Another disadvantage of many recording and/or playback devices now available is that the eject mechanism for removing a cartridge from the device is a separate mechanism. That is, it is not integrated with other machine components and, consequently, requires separate manufacturing and assembly steps in the production of the overall device.